by Jeff Inlo
Back at the base of the tall butte, Holli dodged many of the stones as well, but she couldn't avoid them all as she shielded Enin from a wave of fist-sized rocks. She bit back the pain as she was struck in the arms and shoulders. She drew her long sword and deflected several of the larger boulders, but the smaller rocks continued to pelt her body.
Vraya was the first to fall, struck upon the side of her temple and knocked unconscious. Her small stature saved her life, as many of the stones missed her prone body and those that struck her were not large enough to cause mortal wounds.
Jure tried to cast a shield spell to protect the group, but he could never concentrate long enough. Halfway through the spell, he sidestepped a boulder flying past, and then bit back the sting of pain from rocks smashing into his arms and legs. He tried again, but the continuous flurry of stones sailing toward his face forced him backward.
Ryson pressed against the dome, screamed at Neltus to stop, but the wizard ignored him. The delver looked back over his shoulder and saw his friends being battered. Unable to reach the crimson casting wizard, he raced back to them and unsheathed the war blades at his hips. He stepped in front of Vraya and turned to face the torrent of stone. He became a blur of motion as he deflected every rock hurled toward the sorceress.
"That's right Ryson, try to save them," Neltus mocked, "I know you don't tire, and you're faster than the rocks flying at you, but you can't stop them all, can you? There's too many, even for you and the elf. And look around you, look at how much stone is available. I could drop an entire hillside on you. What would you do then?"
Neltus did not stop with Ryson. He fixed his gaze on the elf guard and his satisfaction grew.
"And you, elf witch, how does it feel... being beaten? You know I could annihilate you out here, where the land is strong. I could end your life in an instant, but I don't want to just kill you, I want to crush you... slow and painful. I want to embarrass you. I've always wanted to go up against you in a battle of pure magic, but I never wanted to risk fighting you when you had so many friends with you. You have them by you now, but they can't help you, can they?"
Holli realized with Vraya on the ground and Enin unable to protect himself, Neltus had effectively neutralized their advantage in numbers. The shield she had hoped to use against Neltus had been turned to his favor. They needed to alter their strategy, but for that, they needed to escape the barrage.
"We need to retreat!" she shouted. "We must use these slopes to our advantage. Fall back around the butte behind us."
Before Ryson could gather Vraya up in his arms, Neltus cast another spell. More red magic swirled from his hands, raced down his body and into the ground. It swelled underneath the surface directly towards the delver and his companions. Once it passed them, it pushed upward.
Sheets of clay rose up around the group forming a giant wall in the shape of a horseshoe. The thick barrier blocked all paths of retreat. The only opening was in front of them, a direct line toward Neltus. The barricade kept them at the mercy of the barrage.
Ryson and Holli turned back to deflecting the rocks. They tried to block as many as possible, but the storm of stone worsened as many deflected back at them from the walls which surrounded them. If they couldn't find a way to stop Neltus' spell, they would all soon fall.
Holli grew as desperate as she was angry. Her fury resided as much in her own mistakes as in Neltus' brazen assaults. The crimson casting wizard was correct, and the elf wouldn't hide from her own blame. She had indeed been predictable, and her carelessness in that regard placed them all in great peril. Even after she swore to avoid further errors in judgment, promised herself to be more vigilant, she walked right into a trap... and brought others to their probable deaths right along with her.
She had to find a way to overcome her mistakes, even if it meant relying on those same individuals she led into danger.
"Ryson!" the elf guard commanded. "Protect Jure! Give him time to cast a spell of defense. We need momentary protection."
Her last hope was a grasp at a short straw, and Neltus pulled it away before she could even touch it.
"All of your moments are gone!" the crimson wizard laughed as he sent another wave of red magic into the ground at his feet.
A rolling swell of power rushed toward Vraya's prone body. When it reached her, the ground opened up and pulled the sorceress halfway into a narrow chasm. It then closed upon her, compacting at her waist.
Ryson could not allow the sorceress to be crushed. He couldn't afford the time necessary to protect Jure. He couldn't even protect himself. He dropped to the ground and began digging with the edges of both war blades. As fast as he could clear the ground away, clay and rock reformed around Vraya's body.
"I thought the shield was supposed to keep him from casting spells at us!" Ryson shouted over the cascading noise.
"The shield I cast was meant to contain him and his magic," Jure yelled back, "but he's sending it underneath."
Holli found the explanation lacking.
"How can he press that much energy through the ground? The magical dome should be suppressing his spells, even below the surface. Most of the magic should be contained!"
The elf was correct, but Jure began to realize Neltus was prepared for their arrival in more ways than one.
"Have you noticed he hasn't moved?" Jure pointed out as he continued to dodge the surge of stones. "He must have tethered himself to these lands before we arrived. He's passing his spells through magical pathways. The shield can't stop that!"
"You believe he has rooted himself?" Holli asked.
"Yes!"
And with that insight, Holli found her new strategy, a plan that was more than hope or desperation. It was a decision of finality, and totally unexpected.
"Enin!" the elf commanded. "Dodge the larger stones for as long as you can. Jure, hold your energy in reserve. You will know when to use it."
She said nothing more. When Enin shifted his position closer to Jure, Holli turned her back toward Neltus. She allowed the stones and rocks to batter her body, but they would not break the concentration needed to make her own transformation. Even as several of her bones shattered beneath the barrage, the pain only lasted a brief moment.
She did not have to concentrate to cast a spell, for it was not an incantation she would use to defeat her foe. She would use the force of her emerald magic in a different way. She would unleash it within herself, allow it to break free in one massive surge. She would give the magic only one purpose... to save her friends. Beyond that simple instruction, she placed no other restrictions within the energy of her core.
Her skin hardened into thick bark, her bone and muscle melded together into solid heartwood, her veins stretched into fibrous strands of sapwood. The core of her body became a solid trunk, her arms stretched out into thick limbs, her legs turned to roots and plunged deep into the ground. Her fingers and hair turned into long wild branches and stretched out into the night air.
Enin did not wish to accept what he saw, but as Holli continued her transformation, his anguish grew.
"No!" he screamed as he leapt toward the tree which the elf had become and wrapped his arms around the trunk. He tried to pull Holli back, but there was nothing for him to grab, and no magic within him to reach out to her.
As the limbs continued to expand and new shoots filled the open spaces, the stones and rocks flung through the air were knocked harmlessly away by the swaying branches. Enin was safe behind the sturdy trunk and the others were offered cover by the umbrella of branches overhead.
During the reprieve, Ryson managed to quicken his pace. Digging furiously, he got ahead of the collapsing chasm. He opened up sufficient space to pluck Vraya from the hole. He carried her to a secure spot behind the thickening trunk.
Jure also took shelter behind the tree. With the rocks failing to break through the branches, he could concentrate on spells once more, cast a spell of shielding, but it was no longer necessary. The tree before them offere
d more than enough protection.
He wanted to send a wave of assaulting energy at Neltus, use all of his magic in one monumental blast to obliterate everything near the wizard, including the magical dome, but he recalled Holli's final order. He would obey it, would not even cast a spell to revive Vraya. He would wait until he knew it was time to use his energy.
Neltus watched the metamorphosis from behind the domed shield. He never imagined the elf guard would make such a sacrifice. He continued his barrage even as he knew the tree would protect the others, but he never expected a counterattack.
Holli had planned the move before she had begun her transformation. She planted it in her memory, so that even after she lost her consciousness, she knew the desire would be fulfilled.
Roots from the lone tree in the wilderness snaked their way through the sections of softer sedimentary rock, searched within the layers of stone below Neltus' feet, and found the spell caster's magical tether into the land. The energized roots embraced the line and used it as a pathway to reach the wizard.
Long thick strands broke through the ground and wrapped about the wizard's arms and legs. The roots pulled at the wizard with unyielding force, not enough to tear his limbs off but with sufficient pressure to cause excruciating pain.
Neltus screamed. His concentration on his spells broke as he faded into unconsciousness. He slumped over forward, but the roots held him upright.
The barrage of rocks ceased, but the dome of energy remained. It was, however, no longer influenced by crimson energy. It glowed in the darkness, lighting up the defeated figure bound within.
Enin disregarded Neltus. He placed his hand on the trunk of the sole tree on the barren plain. He moved closer, placed his forehead against the rough bark. He tried to speak, but he could not find the words.
Jure understood and moved closer to Vraya. He cast a simple spell to revive her and ease some of her wounds, but kept most of his magic in reserve. He helped the sorceress up, allowed her to utilize her own energy to completely heal herself and then revealed to her what had occurred.
"We should remove our shield now," Jure advised.
Vraya nodded, and with Neltus unable to resist, there was nothing to prevent them from canceling the spell. The dome disappeared, and Neltus, still unconscious, was vulnerable.
"I'm going to need your help to loosen the roots," Jure requested of the sorceress. "The moment he's free, I want to send him back to Burbon. It's not going to be easy to untie him without hurting him or damaging the roots. That's why Holli told me to keep my magic in reserve, but I want to hold enough energy to deal with him if he regains consciousness."
"Won't Holli just release him when she turns back to herself?" Ryson asked, wondering why the elder wizard was concerned about using too much magic.
Vraya looked away, knowing the news would crush the delver.
Jure grimaced but revealed the truth.
"She can't turn back. Her ability to cast spells ceased the moment she transformed."
"But the roots..." Ryson argued. "She still attacked Neltus, still used magic after she turned. Why can't she use it again?"
"The emerald magic is still within her, but she's not the same as she was. It wasn't a temporary alteration. She embraced the full scope of her power. It was the only way she could use the magic. She couldn't concentrate on a spell and cast it, so she allowed her core to act of its own accord. When she turned, she did so to save us, and that desire remained within the magic even after she changed. She did what she needed to do."
"Are you saying she's going to be like this forever?"
It was Enin who answered.
"No, Ryson. She's going to die." Enin felt as if he was going to choke on the words, but he continued. He wanted the delver to understand the fullness of Holli's sacrifice. "She knew that when she began the transformation. Look around you. This land is unable to support a tree. The ground is hard and dry. There's not enough nutrients to sustain her, not enough water. Eventually, she will dry out and whither away."
Just as Enin was initially unwilling to accept Holli's decision, Ryson was unwilling to accept the consequences of the elf's choice.
"Vraya, what about you? You cast alteration spells. Can't you change her back?"
"It was her magic... her core," the sorceress explained. "I can't reverse it. She willingly sacrificed herself. That's not a message I can change or an order I can reverse. I can't even alter the tree's perception of that decision."
"Why did she do this? There had to have been another way!"
"Maybe there was," Jure offered, "but we didn't have time to find it. Neltus was going to kill us... all of us. You may not agree with her decision, but don't make it sound like she had obvious options. She didn't."
"I'm not... I didn't mean..." Ryson couldn't get out the words. Agonizing pain exploded in his chest. He couldn't bear losing another friend. He had lost so many already.
"We know," Vraya comforted.
"There's got to be something we can do," the delver begged.
"We can bring Neltus back to Burbon," the sorceress suggested. "It's what Holli wanted us to do."
"It's what she expects us to do," Jure agreed.
"And that's it?" Ryson questioned, his pain growing. "We can't just leave Holli out here. There has to be something else, another way to reach her!"
Enin stepped up to the delver.
"Believe me, Ryson, I wish there was a way to help her, but there isn't. Some decisions can't be reversed."
The delver agonized over the harsh statement. He didn't want to believe anyone should be punished for doing what was right. He wondered if they were giving up too easily, if perhaps Enin had stopped trying because he had lost his own core.
"Even if you don't have magic anymore, Jure and Vraya do. There has to be a way the three of you can work together. Between your knowledge and their magic, you can figure something out. People have come back from worse. Look at Neltus, he managed to get his core back."
"And look at where that has led."
"That's not what I mean. I'm saying there has to be a chance for this to turn out another way."
"You can always have hope," Enin agreed. "Sy came back. That proves there's not an absolute end, so I won't take that from you. But I won't give you false optimism. Based on everything I know, there's no way for us to reverse this."
The mention of Sy strengthened Ryson's resolve.
"Even if we can't reverse it, maybe someone else can. That means we can't let her die. Vraya can alter the land, help it sustain the tree. Jure can bring it water. Eventually there'll be a way to bring her back."
Enin found Ryson's determination more than encouraging, he found it inspiring. He wondered if the delver's tenacity alone could turn an insurmountable tragedy into a joyous reversal of fortune. He also wanted to believe that Holli would return, he wanted to believe there was always hope.
The coreless wizard thought of his own words, considered how Sy had returned to protect Burbon. The apparition had broken boundaries which should have prevented such an endeavor, but the ghost captain never surrendered his obligation to defend his town. If such an obstacle could be overcome, then anything was possible.
With that thought, he suddenly felt the urge to return to Burbon. He considered other tragedies which could be reversed, penalties which could be removed. Though he tried not to acknowledge the desire for what it was, he couldn't ignore it completely. Rather than recognize his true intentions, he attempted to focus on matters which would be considered far more important.
"You're right," Enin allowed. "We can help her survive, and we will. But for now, for this moment, we have to do what she wanted us to do. We have to finish what she started. She wanted to bring Neltus back to Burbon. She gave us that chance. Once that's finished, we can come back here."
"And we'll find a way to save her," Ryson insisted.
The delver's gaze remained centered on the thick trunk, and as Ryson's pain grew, so too did his determi
nation. He could not believe he had lost another friend, would not accept that the cost to save lives was always so high. He agonized over the realities of sacrifices made and the anguish tied to acts of selflessness. He rejected the unfairness of every conceivable path within an existence constantly shaped by the desires of corrupt individuals. If necessary, he would forge a new path, one which would lead to a more just conclusion.
Vraya saw both the torment and resolve within the delver, and found the conflict within him beyond intriguing. It represented Ryson's very essence, and she could not help but comment on what she saw as both beautiful and mystifying.
"You really are a contradiction," the sorceress claimed.
"What?" the delver questioned, uncertain of Vraya's intent or meaning.
"You're a contradiction," she repeated. "You dwell on the negative. I can see that. It's obvious. Your pain is understandable, but you grasp at it as if to convince yourself that every step in life is filled with some perceived injustice."
"You think this is a just reward for Holli?"
"No, I don't, but I have already found hope that her fate isn't sealed. You have given me that hope. It came from you. And you just don't rely on hope, you strive to undo harm, to erase injustice, even as you condemn it as some inevitable consequence interwoven in our lives. You strive to create change... and you wonder why I have watched you for so long. It should be very obvious."
The delver disagreed, almost venomously.
"Nothing is obvious," he countered. "Everything is twisted into some incomprehensible puzzle."
"I would think you would find that a challenge, even a blessing to a delver."
"A blessing? Am I supposed to be happy with what happened here? Am I supposed to celebrate this?"
"Happy over Holli's condition? Of course not, but you've already pointed to a path to keep Holli alive. You're going to give her a chance. Isn't that worth something?"
"It will be worth something if I find the answer."
"And I believe you will. What I'm saying to you is that not every hardship is a calamity, a tragedy. I told you I was terrified at the emergence of Rul Saattan. The removal of Demonspawn's barriers alters the fiber, and the sanctuary, of nearly every level of existence. That in itself is a terrible consideration, but I'm not ready to surrender into absolute despair."